The present invention relates to a fish bait device and more specifically to an articulated integral fish bait device.
In general, fish bait devices are used by sport fishers to attract and capture predatory fish such as, for example, trout fish or bass fish which prey on smaller animals. Usually, a fish bait device is attached to the end of a cord, such as a fishing line, and placed on or into a body of water the predatory fish are known to inhabit. Such fish bait devices usually have one or more barbed fish hooks attached thereon. Theoretically, the predatory fish is tricked into perceiving the artificial fish bait device as actual live prey when, in fact, it is not. The predatory fish is then captured when it attempts to swallow the fish bait device, whereupon the mouth of the predatory fish is impaled by the fish hook attached to the fish bait device. In this manner the predatory fish is eventually captured by reeling in the fishing line.
In an attempt to make fish bait devices as effective as possible, the designers of such devices usually configure them so as to generate signals which are supposedly perceptible and attractive to the predatory fish. These signals are usually visual, and are in the form of motion produced by the artificial bait device. The predominant theory of prior art artificial fish bait devices seems to be that an exceptionally strong visual signal is preferable.
Therefore, most prior art artificial fish bait devices are capable of generating vigorous visual signals in the form of strong movements and vibrant colors or reflective surfaces. Because the prior art devices are configured to generate strong visual signals, the appearance and movement of the prior art devices are exaggerated and lack realism relative to an actual live bait.
Because sport fishing is fairly prevalent in some habitations of predatory fish, and because a great percentage of sport fishers practice a xe2x80x9ccatch-and-releasexe2x80x9d policy, some of the more mature predatory fish can be captured and released several, if not many, times. Thus, some of the more mature predatory fish can learn to distinguish the exaggerated movement and unrealistic appearance of prior art fish bait devices from actual live bait. This can result in difficulty in attracting and capturing mature predatory fish which are better able to distinguish, through experience, actual live prey from the artificial bait devices due to the unrealistic appearance and movement of such devices. Also, this behavior by more mature fish of avoiding artificial bait devices can be learned from example by less mature fish. Additionally, by generating only visual signals, the effective range of prior art bait devices is limited as far as attracting predatory fish since, generally, the visual range is much less than, for example, the audible or vibratory range in most habitations of predatory fish.
Typical examples of prior art fish bait devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,229,239, 2,600,437, 3,535,814, and 4,231,179. All of the fish bait devices disclosed in these patents have first portions that are pivotally connected to second portions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,229,239 to Davis shows fish bait device with a tubular first portion and a flat, substantially two-dimensional second portion that is pivotally connected to the tubular first portion. As can be seen, the shape of the fish bait device disclosed by the ""239 patent to Davis bears little resemblance to an actual live bait. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,437 to Siepe shows a substantially tubular first portion and a relatively short, flat, two-dimensional second portion that is pivotally connected to the tubular first portion. Like the fish bait device of the ""239 patent, the shape of the fish bait device disclosed by the ""437 patent to Siepe bears little resemblance to an actual live bait.
Like the ""239 and ""437 patents, U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,814 to O""Brien also shows a fish bait device having a tubular first portion and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion. The fish bait device of the ""814 patent differs slightly from those of the Davis and Siepe patents, however, in that the tubular first portion of the ""814 fish bait device tapers to a flattened slot section on one end. Also, the ""814 fish bait device differs in that the second portion of the ""814 patent is made up of a fish hook with a feather fly attached to it as opposed to the flat, two dimensional second portion of the Davis and Siepe patents. The fish bait device of the ""814 patent is similar to those of the ""239 and ""437 patents in that the ""814 patent discloses a fish bait device having a shape which bears little resemblance to an actual live bait.
The fish bait device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,179 to Hillesland also has a first portion that is pivotally connected to a second portion. As in the ""239, ""437, and ""814 patents, the fish bait device disclosed by the ""170 patent also has a tubular first portion. The second portion of the fish bait device shown by the ""170 patent is a flat, thin, soft, pliable plastic xe2x80x9cwormxe2x80x9d that is pivotally connected to the first portion by way of a fish hook. The xe2x80x9cwormxe2x80x9d tail portion alone of the ""170 patent may have somewhat of a realistic appearance, although actual worms are rarely flat and thin. However, when the tubular first portion is connected to the xe2x80x9cwormxe2x80x9d second portion as taught by the ""170 patent, the shape and appearance of the ""170 device as a whole bears little resemblance to an actual live bait.
British Patent No. 1,116,339 to Wintersberger shows a fish bait device having a tapered, tubular first portion and a fish hook that is pivotally connected to the first portion. In several embodiments of the ""339 device, relatively small tail flaps are mounted on the fish hook. A spinning motion of the ""339 device is produced by turbine like blades attached both on the outer surface and within the tubular first portion. This spinning motion is the predominant movement of the ""339 device. Although the device shown in the ""339 patent appears to be shaped so as to resemble an unspecified aquatic animal, the exaggerated spinning movement of the ""339 device bears little resemblance to the movement of an actual live bait.
As discussed above, most prior art devices do not have realistic appearances or movements. A prior art artificial bait device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,059 to Brown has somewhat of a realistic appearance. However, the fish bait device disclosed by the ""059 patent incorporates a relatively complex mechanism to generate movement. This can lead to problems created by fouling of the mechanism by debris and corrosion.
Therefore it has long been known that it would be desirable to provide a fish bait device which achieves the benefits to be derived from similar prior art devices, but which avoids the shortcomings and detriments individually associated therewith.
The present invention provides for a fish bait device configured for use in a liquid medium. The fish bait device comprises a front portion having a first end and an opposite second end, and a rear portion having a first end and an opposite second end. The first end of the rear portion is pivotally connected to the second end of the front portion such that the front and rear portions together form an integral fish bait device. Both the front and rear portions of the present invention are substantially three-dimensional and shaped such that, when the device is viewed as a whole, the device has the realistic appearance of an integral live bait. The present invention uses a simple pivot connection between the front and rear portions which, together with its deflecting surface, allows realistic movement of the device which is imparted by the relative motion of the surrounding liquid medium.
The invention further includes a fish bait device as described above wherein the front portion defines a duct for directing a stream of the liquid medium against the first end of the rear portion. The first end of the rear portion includes at least one deflecting surface that is presented to at least a portion of the stream of liquid medium directed by the duct. The impact of the stream of liquid medium against the deflecting surface causes the front and rear portions to oscillate relative to one another such that the fish bait device gives the impression of an actual live, swimming bait.